Car-step.



R. R. CRANE.

GAR STEP.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

978,563. Patented Dec.13,1910.

J5 2] J J j Inventor by l I v 1/ Attorneys ROBERT R. CRANE, OFMENOMINEE, MICHIGAN.

CAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed August 31, 1910. Serial No. 579,863.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT R. CRANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan,have invented a new anduseful Car-Step, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present inventlon to provide an improvedsupplemental car step and the invention relates more particularly to astep of this class which is preferably mounted in position beneath thelower main step and may be lowered to afford a foot hold or elevated orfolded to position entirely beneath said main step, and the primary aimof the invention is to so construct the means for extending andretracting or folding the supplemental step and its riser that themembers connected with the step and riser will not be liable to stickwhen the operating lever of such mechanism is rocked to extend orretract the step.

WVith the above and other Objects in view, the invention consists in thegeneral construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device embodying the presentinvention, the supplemental step being shown in lowered or extendedposition. Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the supplemental step andits riser elevated. Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the supplementalstep and its riser lowered.

In the drawings, the lowermost one of the main steps is indicated by thereference numeral 5 and the supplemental step is indicated by thereference numeral 6. At each corner, the supplemental step (5 is formedor provided with an upstanding ear 7 and pivotally connected to the ears7 at the forward corners of the step are bars 8 which are irregularlycurved for a purpose which will presently be made apparent and areformed throughout substantially their entire length each with a slot 9.A lever 10 is pivoted for rocking movement as at 11 at one side of themain step 5 at a point substantially at the rear corner thereof and thislever has integral with it a forwardly projecting arm 12. The forwardend of the arm 12 terminates at a point substantially coincident withthe forward corner of the step 5 corresponding to the corner at whichthe lever is pivoted and to the said forward end ofv the arm 12 ispivoted the upper end of the adjacent bar 8. The pivot 11 for the leveris in the nature of a square rock shaft and at its opposite end the rockshaft is provided with an arm 13 corresponding to the arm 12 and to theforward end of which is pivoted the upper end of the other bar 8 itbeing understood that the front of the step 6 is in this mannersupported. The rear of the step 6 is supported, in part, by rods 14 onepivoted at each forward corner of the step 5, the rods being pivoted attheir lower ends one to each ear 7 at the rear corners of thesupplemental step (5, the rods being conse quently inclined downwardlyrearwardly.

The lever 10 and the arm 13 are each pro vided with a downwardlyforwardly projecting arm indicated by the numeral 15 and constitutingone arm of a toggle joint of which the other arm is indicated by thenumeral 16, this latter arm having rule joint connection with the arm 15and being pivoted at its lower end to the respective ear 7 at the rearcorner of the step 6. The lever 10 works in an arcuate guide 17 formedwith a notch 18 and a notch 19 and upon the lever is a hand operatedpawl 20 designed to coiiperate with the notches 18 and 19. Asillustrated in the drawings, when the lever is rocked forwardly untilits pawl 20 comes into-engagement with the notch 18, the arms 12 and 13are swung downwardly thereby opening the toggle joints or in other wordsbringing their arms into alinement and lowering the bars 8, the pivot 14for the rods 14. working in the slots in the said bars 8 and thecurvature of each slot conforming to the direction of movement of thestep 6 between its folded and extended positions. It will at this pointbe further understood that by swinging the lever 10 in this mannerupward pull will be exerted upon the bars 8 thereby elevating the frontof the step (3 and the arms 15 and 16 will move upon their connectingpivots and the toggle joints will be folded to the position shown inFig. 2 of the drawings thereby elevating the riser of the step.

The riser for the step 6 is in the form of a plate indicated by thenumeral 21 and this plate is secured at each end to the arms 16 and issupported by and between these arms, it being folded with the arms toassume a position between the steps 5 and 6 when the step 6 is folded tothe position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, thecombination with a main step, of a supplemental step, rods pivoted tothe main step at the forward corners thereof and to the supplementalstep at the rear corners thereof, an operating lever, an arm projectingfrom the lever, a bar pivoted to the arm and to the forward corners ofthe supplemental step and formed with a slot receiving the pivot betweenthe respective rods and forward corners of the main step'and a toggleconnecting the lever and the rear corners of the supplemental step, onearm of the toggle being rigid with respect to the lever.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main step,of a supplemental step, rods pivoted to the main step at the forwardcorners thereof and to the supplemental step at the rear cornersthereof, an operating lever, an arm projecting from the lever, a barpivoted to the arm and to the forward corners of the'supplemental stepand formed with a slot receiving the pivot between the respective rodsand forward corners of the main step and a toggle connecting the leverand the rear corners of the supplemental step, one arm of the togglebeing rigid with respect to the lever, and a riser supported by andbetween the other arms of the toggle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT R. CRANE.

Witnesses C. E. PETERSON, WV. G. BARTLETT.

